Mail-bag catcher.



No. 804,035. PATENTED NOV. 7, 10905. P. S. PERRY.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

APPLIouIoN FILED une. 1905.

Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

/efer/S', Ew

. 'Wi buono No.. 804,035. PATENTED NOV. '7, 1905.

P. S. PERRY.

MAIL BAG GATOHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYQ. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PETER Sr-PERRY, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAIL-BAG Specification of Letters Patent.

CATCHER.

Patented Nov. '7, 1905.

Application filed May 9, 1905. Serial No. 259,520.

T0 alt' whom t may con/cern.-

Beit known that I, PETER S. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain newvand useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail-bag catchers, and more particularly to a device for delivering inail-bags to cars in motion.

One object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple, inexpensive, durable, and eflicient device of the character named whereby the mail-bags `may be safely delivered into moving cars regardless of the rate of speed of the train.

Another object of the invention resides in providing the side of the car with suitable mechanism whereby a mail-bag supported adjacent the track upon which the mail-car travels may be positively removed from its support and conveyed to the interior of the car.

With these and other objects in View the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing a portion of the car in transverse section and a post in elevation and equipped with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the car with the mechanism in closed position, a part the car being broken away. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through a portion of the car and the catcher.

In the accompanying drawings the reference character 1 designates a portion of a carbody having an opening 2 therein for the reception of a mail-bag. Journaled in suitable brackets 3, upon the inner side of the car, is a revolving shaft 1, which is disposed, preferably, at the top of the opening and upon which, near one end thereof, is secured a wheel 5, to the periphery of which is secured l a flexible connection 6, which latter has its opposite end secured in any suitable manner to the door 7, as at 8.

The door 7 is preferably of box-like shape, having the top 9, sides 10, respectively, and the bottom 11, which latter is of greater width thanthe top and sides for a purpose presently explained and is arranged to swing over the lower edge or sill ofthe opening 2. The back of the door is composed of wire-netting or the like 12, and, if desired, a suitable covering 13 may be disposed over the outer face of the netting. A lever 14 is pivotally mounted upon the bottom 11 of the door and projects from the latter so that its notched end 15 may be dis osed against the sill of the opening 2 to ho d the door in open position, there being a spring 16 connected at one of its ends to the bottom 11 of the door and having its other end connected to the inner end of the lever 14 for the purpose of holding the outer end of the lever normally in a horizontal plane, whereby the door may be closed instantly when desired. As shown in the drawings, when the notched end 15 of the lever 14 is in engagement with the wheel of the opening 2 of the car, the same is in a downwardly-inclined position and is so held until the door contacts with the mail-bag suspended along the side of the track.

It will be understood that the shaft 4 is disposed at the top of the opening 2 and sufficiently inwardly fromthe inner wall of the car to permit proper closing of the door and also preventing obstructions being formed in the path of movement of the mail-bag when carried by the door.

Secured near one end of the shaft 4 by means of a suitable flexible connection 17 is a weight 19, adapted to move upwardly and downwardly within a suitable casing 20, arranged within the car, the casing permitting of a free movement of the weight and obviating the possibility of injury to attendants at work within the car.

A crane consisting of an upright 21 and an arm 22, having a hook 23 at its free end, is disposed along the side of the track in such manner as to have the free end of the arm 22, disposed close to the track. When it is desired to deliver the mail-pouch into a moving train, it is only necessary to suspend the pouch upon the hook 23, where it will be in direct alinement for contact with the door 7 when the latter is in open position.

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As shownl in Fig. 1, the mail-bag is suspended from the crane and the door 7 is open for the purpose of gathering in the former, and just as soon as the door strikes the pouch it removes the latter from the hook 23, dropping it upon the bottom 1 1, which is enlarged for the purpose of preventing the pouch from falling between the door and the car to the ground. As soon as the jar is occasioned by the door contacting with the pouch the spring 16 lifts the lever 14 to a horizontal position and the weight 19 having been wound upon the shaft 4 bythe opening of the door through the instrumentality of the wheel 5 and flexib'le connection 6, immediately falls, causing the door 7 to close rapidly. To further facilitate the rapid closing of the door, a spring 24 is provided, which has one of its ends secured, as at 25, to one of the strands of the wire mesh of the door, with its opposite end secured to the inner side of the car-body, as at 26. It will be understood that either the weight or its spring will suffice to close the door at the proper time and. that either the weight or the spring may act as an auxiliary to the other and that in the event either should fail to operate the other can be depended upon to perform the function of its oHice.

The door is preferably hinged upon a vertical rod 27, journaled in suitable brackets or bearings 28 upon the outside of the door, as shown.

Of course When the door is in closed position it may be locked in any suitable manner.

l/Vhat is claimed is- 1. In a device of the class described, a car having an opening therein, a door hingedly connected adjacent one side of said opening, a shaft journaled within the car at the top of the opening, a pulley-wheel mounted upon the shaft, a flexible connection between the pulley-wheel and the door, aweight connected to the shaft, means for holding the door in open position, a crane disposed adjacent the path of the car and having means for suspending a inail-pouch, and auxiliary means associated with the door for assisting in closing the latter when it contacts with the mailpouch suspended 'from the crane.

2. in a device of the class described, a car having an opening therein, a door hingedly connected to one side of the opening, springactuated means for holding the door in open position, a crane arranged adjacent the path of the car and having means for suspending a pouch therefrom, and in direct alinement with the door in its open position, and means associated with the door v'for rapidly closing the same when it contacts with the mailpouch.

3. In a device of the class described, a car having an opening therein, a door hingedly connected to one side of the opening, springactuated means for holding the door in open position, a crane arranged adjacent the path of the car and having means for suspending a pouch therefrom, and in direct alinement with the door in its open position, means associated with the door for rapidly closing the same when it contacts with the mail-pouch, and auxiliary means associated with the lastnanied means 'for assisting in rapidly closing the door.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses,

PETER S. PERRY.

Witnesses D. H. SULLIVAN, FLORENCE M. HERBERT. 

